Easter Swap

ummmm... hi and stuff,

it's been a while

So how's it been gorgeous people? I've been thinking of y'all. :-) Just not blogging.

The wonderful Kimberley, who I suspect may be the sole reason that NZ post hasn't gone under, arranged an Easter swap and I got paired with lovely Glenda. (She doesn't have a blog)

This is what I sent her. Glenda told me she's not much of a chocolate lover so I held off on the chocolate and went more for the birds.

And here is the wonderful parcel I received from her, so many gorgeous treats to enjoy!

Swaps are a lot of fun to do because you have all the joy of putting treats together for another person and all the excitement of knowing an unknown parcel will arrive for you.

So, how's life lovelies??

love you more than a brown paper package tied up with string xxx

Double the Fun

As we know life sometimes throws a curve ball and renders us unable to complete things we wanted to. One of the lovely swappers in the colour swap had one of those sucky situations so I had the fun of taking on her partner too.

Lovely Lauren had blue as one of her favourite colours so I had some fun collecting bits and pieces with her in mind. Lauren strikes me as someone who is very organised so I went with that kind of theme - chalkboard stickers, pens and a super set of post it style pieces.

I did some more making as well.

Even better Lauren's parcel arrived on a day when she was a little glum - don't you love that sort of timing?

She blogged about it over here. Hopefully the post fairy will have done her work on most of you by now or she will arrive soon. Do take a moment to flick your partner an email I'm sure they'll be holding their breath until they know it landed.

love you more than a parcel in the post xxx

Colour Swap Parcel

The gorgeous Laurel has received the parcel I sent so I can share what I sent her.

From her list of colours (that was very similar to the colours I sent) I chose pink.

Here is a peak of the things I sent and you can also see more on her blog here.

I was most excited to find the magazine which was new to me but I thought would be nice.

I also included a handmade (inspiring?) bookmark, rabbit stamp and necklace along with a selection of pink pieces and some chocolate hearts (that weren't pink but I think for chocolate an exception can be made?) and a rose scented soap.

I hope all the other colour swappers are having fun putting their parcels in the post and receiving their colour hug. I look forward to seeing more details of parcels flying about.

love you more than a parcel arrived xxx

A Little Bit of Wonderful Colour Swap

Although winter doesn't seem to be coming here in Adelaide any time soon, I do think of winter being a little colour lacking so I thought maybe a colour kiss by way of an easy swap could be in order?

I'm calling it 'a little bit of wonderful', you know like a wee unexpected burst of colour on a dreary, cold day. You don't have to be a crafter to participate in this swap.

This is a colour based swap. You will get an email with your partners details and some of their favourite colours. Your challenge is to choose one colour they love and base all your items around that colour. (As much as you can - creative license is okay!)

Please include 3 or more items in the swap (they can be handmade, or thrifted - if your partner is into thrifted stuff please check, or bought all shiny and new).

Also you must include something to inspire them - a note from you, a quote or poem you love, a link to a song you love or a copy of a story that makes you smile.

Feel a bit too open ended? If so here are some ideas to get you started:

Stationery - sitckers, note paper, pencils, washi tape....

Treats - sweets, chocolate bars, soup sachets, spice mixes

Creative - ribbons, buttons, ric rac or something you have made, cookie cutters and a favourite recipe

Winter Pick Me Up - seeds to plant in spring, a mixed 'tape', cute socks, soap, nail polish, candles .....

Price guide is $20 (excluding postage) but you are welcome to get creative and spend less if you want to. Please keep it around this mark though and don't go too far over or throw something together for $5 - we don't want receivers to feel embarassed or disappointed.

These are the rules
- Open to Aus and NZ only to keep postage manageable
- Sign ups start May 25th and close June 10th.
- you will get your partners name, answers and postal address by the 20th of June and need to have your parcel sent by 30th of June.

please only sign up if you are genuinely excited by the idea of making a 'wee bit of wonderful' parcel for someone

To sign up please leave your name and email address in a comment and I will email you a form to fill out. If you don't fill the form out and email it back I won't be able to pop you in, as your partner will need these details.

Thanks to Cat the swap queen for her lovely input - I hope I do you proud :o) I tried to make a button but I couldn't get it to work so here is the picture instead :o) x - somethings never change!

love you more than shopping for someone wonderful xxxx

Make My Week - train wreck

So I signed up for the postcard swap and thought I would be extra clever and contain my postcard in plastic so that it would arrive safely.

Especially as I didn't have heavy enough card to sew onto the back of the stitched part.

Then I discovered I am seriously lacking in the plastic sewing skills department. This stuff sticks and clings to the machine and presser foot like the badness.

So now I am sending a card that looks like a train wreck, and I managed to put the card part on upside down.

I hope my recipient likes train wrecks....

It's hard to send something I'm not pleased with but I'd rather send something than nothing... perhaps she will blame it on the postal service??? So there it is... a fail shared is sadly not a fail halved.

love you more than good ideas that turn out the way you hoped they would xxx

Wanting a Bit of February Stash Busting Fun?

This year I want to work with my stash better - instead of buying a whole lot of stuff I want to work with the whole lot I have.

As a crafter I really aim to have little or no waste coming out of my sewing room. I try to pay forward lovely fabric I won't use and when the scraps get too small and the cotton reels are empty I take them to kindy for the collage table.

This year I also want to start making a lovely, mis-matched, small squared quilt. A bit like the lovely one above. So each time I finish making something and there are scraps I've decided to cute some 3 inch squares and then move the rest on.

So now I want some new scraps.....

enter the Make.Life.Beautiful stash busting scrap swap. A variety of scraps in a variety of sizes sent in the mail. You'll be paired up with someone who has similar taste - sound fun? Pop over here for all the details  (which is the same place I stole the quilt photo from!)

And the Receiving Begins

I am a gift lover - I really enjoy buying/making/giving - it makes me very happy. On the flip side I also love to receive presents. Primarily I give and receive love via words but loving touch and presents also speak of love very loudly to me.
Day One

 So just right now and for another 21 days!!!! I am feeling (and so are my boys!!!!) very loved by a Miss Leonie Sunshine (x3). Each Saturday I'm going to share the love so you can see the wonderful things I've been unwrapping - because if you can't have the present at least you can enjoy someone else having them right?

Day Two Me

Day Two Boys

I know today is Monday but I wanted to start with the first three days.

Cat is the wonderful Advent Host and she has links on her blog if you want to go and check out other participants.

Day Three 

My Christmas tree is looking so awesome!!!

Also tomorrow for Becoming the Mama I Want to Be - I would love you to post in with any post (you don't have to have a link in it) of cool stuff you've done with your wee ones - any time this year. Multiple links welcome.

Get Yourself Some Advent Action

Cat is organising an Advent swap - this means you get to prepare 24 little items with love and excitement for someone and at the end of November you get a parcel of wonderful things to open every day up until Christmas. This is such a perfect swap for a person like me that loves buying, making and collating gifts and who also - much less admirably, loves receiving gifts! Win and win.

It will also make you the envy of all your family members and it's not often the mama get's that lovely role. You are also guaranteed 24 surprises this is also good because if you are anything like me in terms of responsibility for buying the gifts there will be no other surprises for you under the tree. (not that I mind of course but I do love a good surprise!)

As the 1st of Dec is my birthday I think this would be an excellent way to start my 35th year!

If you want more information and you want to sign up (of course you do!!) head over here for all the dets (I love using the word dets - it makes me feel very 'cool'. I realise it probably isn't a cool word at all but as I have no teenagers to let me know this I am happy in my ignorance).

Um yeah - sign up okay?  this will be fun!